Preparations for the forthcoming festival of Christmas have picked up here on Saturday as the Christian community is all set to celebrate the festival with religious fervour across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including tribal districts.
With each passing day till the eve of Christmas, the Christian community prepares for the festivity and feels the echo of the church bells that announce the birth of Jesus Christ. The traditions related to Christmas include decoration of Christmas tree, Santa Claus, carols and Christmas gifts.
In this connection, a colourful function was held in Government Girls College Peshawar, in which students and faculty members participated in large number. Assistant Commissioner Peshawar, Salauddin was chief guest in the ceremony.
District Youth Officer, Sardar Irfan Khan and Principal of the college, Professor Shaheen Umar were also present on the occasion. Department of youth affairs has regularly organised such events for highlighting positive and creative activities amongst students.
The college's Christian students presented tableau and skids and sung carol songs on the occasion. Later, the Assistant Commissioner Peshawar and Principal of the college distributed shields and certificate among the students.
Meanwhile, with the approaching Dec 25th, the Christian community in Landi Kotal has started finalising their preparation to celebrate Christmas with zeal and fervour. Numbers of Christian families can be seen in Landi Kotal bazaar, buying clothes, shoes and other commodities relating to the Christmas day from dawn to dusk.
Ashan Maseeh, a tailor by profession said that on the eve of Christmas, he renovated his house and almost completed shopping for the Christmas day. He further said that children were being prepared to present tableaus and other religious songs on the Christmas day. We are eagerly waiting to commemorate the Christmas day with religious zeal and enthusiasm, he added.
A local Christian student of first year Jahan Zeb, who was buying shoes from one of the shoes shops, said he was eagerly waiting for the Christmas and had got pint-shirt for the special day.
College friends of Muslim community applaud us on the Christmas day and he along with his friends would go to Islamabad on tour visit, he added.
The local tribesmen used to felicitate us on our religious celebrations and share our joys by joining our parties without any hesitation, he observed.
Sharing details central member Pakistan Minority Alliance, Arshad Maseeh said that approximately 300 Christian families were residing in district Khyber from pre-Pakistan era and were executing their duties as government employees or in private enterprises. He expressed satisfaction over the general attitude of the tribesmen towards them and said that the Christians in Khyber did not consider themselves parted of the tribal society.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019